Kloster Blankenburg

The Blankenburg convent was founded in 1294 by five nobles and ministerials from the Bremen diocese, who specifically acquired land from Count Johann II of Oldenburg. The aim was to establish a Dominican convent for nuns of the Augustinian and Preacher orders. The name Blankenburg, first mentioned in the consecration document, is attributed to a nun named Blanca, while the addition “Burg” refers to the terp on which the convent buildings were erected. As early as 1297, Archbishop Giselbert von Brunkhorst of Bremen confirmed all indulgences of the convent, and in 1299 the convent church was elevated to a parish church. For centuries, the convent served as a supply institution for daughters of wealthy Oldenburg families. In 1499, the convent was devastated by the “Black Guard” but was re-equipped in 1509. The Reformation led to the secularization of the property in 1577. After its dissolution, the convent was converted into a malt and brewery in 1623 and later handed over by Count Anton Günther to the Blankenburg Convent Foundation for the establishment of a poorhouse and orphanage. From 1786 to 1935, it functioned as a “custodial and nursing home.” During the Nazi era, the institution was closed, patients were relocated, and the property was used as a camp for the SA labor service. Later, it served as the state Gertrudenheim, whose residents were deported as part of “Aktion T4.” After World War II, it was used as a tuberculosis hospital and later as a municipal nursing home.

Blankenburg convent is situated on the eastern outskirts of Oldenburg, near the Hunte river, in the region of Lower Saxony, Germany. Together with the district of Neuenwege, it forms Oldenburg's municipal district 8.

The main house from 1294, the brewery from 1623, and the second church from 1868 are now listed buildings. The structures bear witness to the long and complex history of the site.

• Prinzpalais Oldenburg (residence, approx. 4927 m away)
• Schloss Oldenburg (castle, approx. 4927 m away)
• Elisabeth-Anna-Palais (residence, approx. 5053 m away)
• Haus Osterberg (manor and estate house, approx. 8878 m away)